Government delays Murphys and Redoubt Road intersection, again.

Mill Road Stage 1 as proposed in 2025 - is this still the plan?

The Government has announced that they are slowing down the delivery of their Roads of National Significance (RONS).

I'm not surprised to see confirmation that the previous promises were unrealistic - the Herald estimated that Northern Express alone would require 10% of NZs infrastructure spending for the next 25yrs and costs could even double. Then Minister Bishop announced in November that funding the $56 Billion for all 17 projects would require 70% increase in fuel taxes and road user charges. So it's good to get some more realistic timeframes for these projects.

But there are real impacts on the safety of our roads while we wait. This recent announcement will almost certainly impact one of the most dangerous intersections in the city - the intersection of Murphys Road and Redoubt Road which is part of the Mill Road project.

We've been shown early designs (which I've included here since this is all we have) which would see Murphys Road straightened out to connect with Redoubt Road at a T-junction, signalised intersection. Much safer and easier to navigate, Stage 1 was estimated to deliver a 30% reduction in congestion on the corridor, over 60% reduction in deaths and serious injuries, and by 2031, 25% faster journey times.

When asked for our feedback in 2023, the Howick Local Board made it clear our priority was "Redoubt Rd/Murphys Rd intersection to address immediate traffic safety issues", and again in 2024.

As the Chairperson of the Howick Local Board, I wrote to the Transport Minister in July 2024 noting our support for the upgrade of this intersection and seeking information on timeframes - I have never received a response.

The recent announcement from the new Transport Minister does not contain enough information to determine the impact or potential timeline. According to the information released by NZTA, Mill Road Stage 1 (which includes the Murphys Road and Redoubt Road intersection) has been marked for Phase 2: Preparing for construction, and route protection by the end of 2027. It would then be "Implementation Ready" while "Progression is subject to funding availability".

More information the Mill Road Project can be found here: https://nzta.govt.nz/projects/south-auckland-projects/mill-road

And the press release from the Minister here: https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/transport-pipeline-provides-certainty

The Mill Road project had previously claimed another critical intersection for Flat Bush - the intersection of Murphys Road and Murphys Park Drive. Fortunately they have since removed it from the scope, allowing Auckland Transport to progress an upgrade. It's always been important but it's become more urgent with the opening of the new primary school (Te Kura Rau Iti) - we asked the Ministry of Education to ensure this intersection was upgraded before the school opened, but they said they wouldn't accept students from the western side of Murphys Road so it wasn't required.

The upgrade of Murphys Road and Murphys Park Drive is now being delivered by a private developer (under the supervision of Auckland Transport) as a condition on their resource consent for a development in East Ormiston. We've seen a proposed design, which includes traffic lights and a controlled crossing over Murphys Road. We don't have a specific date for construction yet but will continue to push for faster delivery to make this road safer for everyone.